1. Thomas & David Beard
ordered to bring during the sitting of this Court Six Orphan Children of
John Ham to be dealt with as the Law directs." Abstracts of the Minutes
of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Rowan County, NC, 4:187. 1
Feb 1779.

2. "Betty Ham Orphan of John Ham
Decd be bound to Will: Beard until she is 18, being 11 next Apr., sd Master
to give sd Apprentice when free a good saddle & bridle, 4 cows &
Calves & a good spinning Wheel more than the Law directs. Nacey Ham
Orphan of John Ham Decd bound to David Beard until she is 18, being 9 the
13th of Mar. next, to receive from Master same as Betty Ham. John Hamm
Orphan of John Hamm decd bound to Arthur Chambers until he is 21, he being
now 8, to learn the Trade of Wheelwright and to be given a good Saddle
& bridle & a Set of tools fitting for sd Trade at the expiration
of his sd Apprenticeship. Jean Ham Orphan of John Ham decd bound to James
Wallace until she is 18, being 3 on 15 Mar. next, sd Master to comply with
the Act of Assembly & give sd Apprentice 1 Cow & calf & spinning
Wheel at the Expiration of her sd Time. William Beard apptd guardian of
Zarina Ham Orphan of John Hamm decd & give David Beard Security in
L100." Abstracts of the Minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions,
Rowan County, NC, 4:196-7. 5 Feb 1779.

3. John Ham named in will of David
Beard, to receive L3.0.0. Will of David Beard, Iredell Co., NC, book B,
page 51, made 26 Sep 1785, proved 8 Nov 1785.

4. "George H. Burges for Jno Ham
vs. Arthur Chambers. Jury charged. finds for the plaintiff and assigns
his damages to L35.0.0." Abstracts of the Minutes of the Court of Pleas
and Quarter Sessions, Iredell County, NC, I:150. 19 Feb 1794.

Because five of the children were
taken in by the Beard family, Arthur Chambers, and James Wallace (all of
whom were related to each other either directly by marriage or through
marriages with the Steeles and/or Robesons) it is possible that either
John Ham or his wife (or both) were also related to the benefactors of
the children. Note that six Ham children inherited from William Beard and
that the younger John Ham inherited from David Beard. Also note that the
court order names Betty, Nacey (sic), John, Jean, and Zarina, while William
Beard's will names Billy, Mary, Nancy, John, Jean, and Zerin (sic). It
is probable that Betty and Mary are the same individual. Billy is assumed
to be either already apprenticed or of age and/or gainfully employed at
the time of the court decision of 5 Feb 1779.

The younger John Ham has been
confused in the past with John Ham (d.1811) of the Hunting Creek area of
N.E. Iredell County. However, early land and census records show a John
Ham in continuing close proximity to the Hair, Beard, Chambers, and Steele
families in the Fourth Creek area of Cool Springs Twp. His (presumed) second
wife, Esther Haire, was also a Robeson descendant. Esther Haire's paternal
grandmother was Esther Robeson, who was probably related by marriage to
both the Chambers and Steele families. Later records show a proximity of
John Ham to some of his own children and their spouses along Little Rocky
Creek in Sharpsburg Twp. His widow Esther contined to live in this area
until her death in 1874.

It is also possible that John
Ham (d. 1811) was the John Ham listed as a soldier in Iredell Co. in 1784
and, thus, too old to be the eight-year-old orphan of 5 Feb 1779.

1. William Steele to John
Ham for $200.00: 2 tracts of land (70 acres total), one lying on the north
side of Fourth creek joining James Gay, James Hinson, David Hair, and Patrick
McGuire, containing 40 acres. Another track on north side of Fourth
creek, joining David Hair, William Steele, James Gay, John Gay, and Patrick
McGuire containing 30 acres. Witnesses: John Gay & David Dickey. Iredell
Co. N.C., Deed Book F, p. 565. 7 Nov 1807.

2. 1810 Census of Iredell Co., NC.
shows John Ham living near Hairs, Beards, et al. with one male aged
26<45 and one female aged <10. It is presumed that John Ham, at about
40 years old, was widowed and living with infant daughter Mary.

John & Esther (Haire) Ham
are buried with daughter Mary Ham at Snow Creek United Methodist Church
Cemetery in Sharpsburg Twp., Iredell Co., NC. John's death date and age
at death (77) from headstone. Esther's and Mary's birth and death dates
from are from their headstones.

4. !850 Census of Alexander Co.,
NC, p.143b, shows this family living near John Bowles:

Dwelling #

Family #

Name

Age

Sex

Trade

Place Born

Adults who cannot read or write

609

609

John J. Ham

38

m

laborer

NC

1

Elvira "

24

f

"

William "

5

m

"

Thomas "

3

m

"

John "

1

m

"

5.!850 Census of Iredell Co., NC,
pp.121-122, shows Esther Ham:

Dwelling #

Family #

Name

Age

Sex

Trade

Real Estate

Place Born

74

74

Esther Ham

65

f

700

NC

Polly "

30

f

"

Silas "

23

m

farmer

"

6. !860 Census of Iredell Co., NC,
pp.121-122, shows this family living adjacent to Esther Ham, who is next
to Silas Ham.

Dwelling #

Family #

Name

Real estate

Personal Estate

Place born

School within one year

Adult who can't read or write

610

589

Silas Ham

34

m

Farmer

1,200

580

NC

Sarah "

26

f

Wife

"

Thos F "

7

m

"

1

John W "

5

m

"

1

Martin A "

4

m

"

Letitia E "

2

f

"

Miles A "

4/12

m

"

Wm Nesbitt

17

m

Daylaborer

"

1

612

590

Esther Ham

70

f

Widow

50

NC

Mary "

40

f

"

613

591

John J. Ham

45

m

Farmer

130

"

1

Elvira "

30

f

Wife

Thos F. "

13

m

1

Martha "

11

f

1

Mary "

10

f

Lafayette

7

m

Franklin

6

m

7. "S.S. Ham for the sum of $1 and
for love and affection he has for William N. Ham, minor son of John Ham,
conveys to him a mule colt, about 9 months old." Iredell Co., NC, Deed
Book 2, p.447. 19 Jan 1861.

9. 1870 Census of Anderson Co., TN.
shows the Mason/Ham family on p.86. Lafayette Ham is listed twice: once
with his family and once with Philip Shields (p. 31), for whom he worked.
In the latter, Lafayette's birthplace is listed as Tennessee. Also listed
in the Shields household are a Martha Mason, domestic servant, age 21,
born in North Carolina, and Ellizabeth Mason, age 3, born in Tennessee.
The ages are consistant with Lafayette's sisters, Martha and Lucinda Ham,
also shown at home with their mother and step-father.

10. Information on William Ham (b.c.
1815) & family group from Church of the Latter Day Saints IGI (North
Carolina), pp.10,218-10,226). This source also gives birthdates for John
J. Ham's first three sons and the marriage date for Elvira Ham & Harrison
Mason. In this source, all references to John Ham (d. 1811) are for Rowan
Co.

COMMENTS:

For whatever reason, Mary "Polly"
Ham, eldest daughter of John Ham (d.1847), has "lost" a full eleven years
in the 1850, 1860, and 1870 Censuses! However, the birthdate her headstone
is supported by the 1810 Census.

William does not appear with his
family in the 1860 Census; he was alive, however, because his uncle gave
him the mule colt on the following January 19th. William, aged about 15,
may have been living and working on another farm. Note how Esther Ham's
age changed from 1850 to 1860.

The site of John Jefferson Ham's
grave is unknown, although there are unmarked graves adjacent to his parents
and sister Mary at the Snow Creek United Methodist Church Cemetery. Some
of his other siblings and their families are buried elsewhere in this cemetery.
[Does the church maintain any records of burials?]

Elvira (Bowles) Ham Mason is buried
next to son S.L. "Fate" Hamm at New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery at the
Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, TN. Also buried with them are Frank Hamm and Mary
Hamm Norman. Birth and death dates for all are from their respective headstones.
Note that the birth dates for Fate and Mary are too close together for
both to be accurate.

North Carolina marriage records
show that Elvira Ham married Harrison Mason in Iredell Co. on February
16, 1869. Their daughter, America, was born July 15, 1869, in Oliver Springs,
Anderson Co., TN. According to the 1850 Census of Alexander Co., NC, Harrison
Mason was fifteen years younger than Elvira Ham.

Julia Ann (Brown) Hamm is buried
next to her brother Aaron Brown at the old Beaver Ridge Methodist Church
Cemetery in the Karns community in western Knox Co., TN. Her birth and
death dates are from her headstone.

Birth and death dates and marriages
of children from various family sources, notably a transcription by Janie
Jones of a letter from Bertie (Ham) Nelson to Esther (Russell) Blankenbeckler.